There was certainly something special about seeing these five specific musicians take the stage. As the "Firebird Suite" reached its crescendo and the classic lineup of Anderson, Howe, Squire, Wakeman & White walked out to take their positions, I felt like I was transported back to the late 1970s, to a time I was not even yet aware that Yes existed. Rick waved to the crowd, who responded like he was the Prodigal's Son - finally returning home to where he belonged. My heart raced as it hasn't since the Union tour.

The show started a bit slow, but by the time they hit the guitar jam in "America" they were in full stride. It seemed like Alan & Chris really hooked up at this point and propelled the band to the next level, where they stayed for the rest of the show. There was also a pretty decent turnout crowd-wise. All of the indoor sections were full, plus a decent amount of the lawn.

A thought about the sound: My seats were right next to the sound board, literally two seats to the left of the mix position. I have much experience in live sound, being a mixer myself, and I was anticipating hearing the best mix ever. I was disappointed. While I don't know if there were technical difficulties or not, the cymbals were nearly inaudible, and, amazingly so, Rick's keyboards were often subdued. The volume level was weak as well, and I am not aware of any volume limits at this particular venue. I just seemed like the entire mix lacked energy. If I had to guess, I would say the level was around 92-94 db, where a rock concert should be 98-100 db (in my not-so-humble opinion). It seems that this is a theme on this tour. I just don't get it - I hope they get their act together for the second leg.

Some other highlights:

We Have Heaven > Southside of the SkyDuh. Of course this was a highlight. I always count is a blessing to hear Yes perform a song I've never heard live before, and while I knew they were playing "Southside" on this tour, I was surprised to hear "We Have Heaven" precede it. Anderson sang all the vocal parts, sequencing each one to create the vocal layers as the band held down the backing rhythms. Very cool. But when the door slammed and the echoing footsteps ran off to the distance, my heart actually skipped a beat. Alan did an excellent job opening the song and carrying it along, and this song had an energy and freshness to it that's hard to describe. Steve & Rick traded solos at the end and everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves on this one. All in all, "Southside" live was everything one would have thought it would be. Just why the guys waited thirty years to bless us with this is a mystery to me. I'm just glad I was there to hear it.

The Revealing Science of GodI very much enjoyed hearing this, as I missed the '97 tour when they played it with Igor. (Cut me a break! I was getting married at the time...) But I'm glad I missed it then in a way - this night I was able to hear it live for the very first time the way it should be: With the same five musicians who created it. What a wonderful treatment of a wonderful piece of music. I've now heard the first and fourth sides of Tales From Topographic Oceans. Pretty amazing, since when I "discovered" Yes in 1982 I never thought I would have ever heard any of Tales live.

Don't Kill The WhaleTormato has always been a favorite album of mine, and while I would have preferred to hear "On the Silent Wings of Freedom" or "Future Times/Rejoice," "Don't Kill the Whale" was a good alternative. This version was a bit "rockier" that the YesShows version, and it segued quite nicely out of "Magnification." As I listened, I thought again to myself what a wonderful blessing it was to hear these five musicians play for us.

WhitefishWhile I love Chris, I never really felt a ten minute bass solo was entirely necessary. Until this show. He and Alan played the intro to "On the Silent Wings of Freedom

John B.:

The 8/8/02 performance at the Tweeter Center was truly wonderful. In eager anticipation of the upcoming Yes tour I was continuously playing their music and for some reason was particularly struck by listening to South Side of the Sky again. Naturally, I was overjoyed to learn that they were playing it in this year's tour. For me, We Have Heaven/South Side of the Sky was the best song of the evening. Chris Squire with his hair blowing in the wind and his marching-type footwork appeared as one of the Himalayan hikers the song so vividly portrays on their journey to heaven. Howe and Wakeman dueling back and forth with their sound were magnificent. Jon's voice was as celestial as always. Alan White brought the steady and reliable beat just laying back and letting the song happen.

The show had other fine moments. Heart of the Sunrise was another highlight. America was enjoyable to hear. The song served as a tribute to our country in these post 9/11 times and served as a reminder of the Paul Simon lyrics/harmonies that initially drew Jon and Chris together when they formed the band. As far as the featured solos, the Chris Squire solo was simply the best. He was so animated and intense, offering his innovative bass playing and strongly complemented by Alan White on the drums. Awaken was beautifully performed with Jon on the harp and Chris Squire breaking out the triple-necked bass. Steve Howe got stronger and stronger as the show progressed. Wakeman (welcome back Rick!) was performing his keyboard wizardry. The encore was strong and well received.

The best lineup of the band was back and, I believe, they were really enjoying themselves. The sound was tight. The light show, while simple, was quite effective. The volume, a bit low at first, was just right. Philadelphia rolled out the red carpet for the band, meeting Mayor John Street, and receiving an Official Proclamation declaring it "Yes Day." I believe the band sincerely appreciated the love they felt from the city of brotherly love. They even sang happy birthday during the show to an 81-year-old fan in attendance. I was privileged to meet with the band after the concert and to enjoy some good wine and conversation with them later. They are true gentlemen, all virtuosos at their craft. Enjoying the sharing of their music with their fans. Thank you Mark and Chris! Well-done Philadelphia (and Camden)! Well-done Yes!

andrew turner:

I don't own too many Yes albums... Going for the One, Close to the Edge, Fragile, The Yes Album... possibly another I can't find.

I've borrowed / listened to pretty much everything else.

I've seen them at what used to be the Brendan Byrne (?) arena in north Jersey, and the 1991 show at the Philadelphia Spectrum... may have been to another or two I don't remember. :)

OK : 1st off. Great sunset; went nicely with the music. Hope you looked and enjoyed it as well. Rush had a good one too.

Anyway - "2nd row" right in front of Wakeman... it's the second row back, but back as far as the center 4th row. This probably affects my feeling about the show, which is simply that it was the best concert I've been to, ever, I think - barring the 1st Us Festival in San Bernadino, CA. (By sheer band number only.)

This was also the most surreal show I've ever been to. Not being a fanboy, I just want to say that the depth of the impact of Yes' music on my musical sensibilities, as well as my perception of the world around me, is matched by only a handful of bands. You guys probably listen to some of the same ones.

Making it even stranger were these - dare I say - >grandfathersBut I still had to convince myself, in ways, that those guys up there - physically there, playing - are the ones that WROTE this stuff. It is them. This little task of self-assurance happened a few times throughout the show...

And Wakeman looked like a kid in his room goofing off - effortlessly - but goofing off nonetheless. He was smiling often, making audience contact, singing along (which he may always do; I don't know) and seemed to be genuinely having a great time. But get some freaking mirrors up over that guy please.

Howe was - and let me qualify this - superb. There were a few misses... he said "shit" once that I saw in encore... but there were times during fast sections when he just zoned, let his fingers go, and that was that.

Anderson was also having a good time, as you who were there know. Pushing this craft into these pseudospiritual (and otherwise) places comes naturally to all these guys, it seems, and to watch harmonies go on during intense passages left me saying, "Uh, they can do that without like 17 tracks?" which is most likely a dumb thought...

Also a highlight for me was their transition from opening to where they really "warmed up", which was for me South Side... which in itself was one of those disconnected moments for me. Again, pausing... wait... it's -actually- those guys playing that....

A friend who's seen Yes for 27 years certainly ranked it up there with, if not, his best show.

The crowd around us was annoying; first row had a few.... well, annoying people. They had at least 6 large beers each by halftime. Shut up, sit down. How did you get THOSE tickets? These folks, for the most part, seemed to have never heard of Yes save for the the radio hits. Get off your cell phone. Come on now. You don't need to hold up your beer with one hand, point at Jon with the other, and scream "Roundabout!!! Wooooooo!!!!!" (They didn't, but were as annoying as those who do, as a point of reference)

Ok, that's all. See ya.

craig n:

Absolutely awesome!! Show was great. I sat 3rd row right in front of Howe and moved right up to stage for encore. Been ~25 yrs since my last show and this one was even better. Heart of the Sunrise was incredible. Hey Matt L. from Liverpool, lost your email. Send a note. Thanks dude for getting me into these guys back in 75'.

Chuck:

Here's my take on Camden:

It was a very, very good show. Having not seen YES since the Union tour, it was a stunning reminder of how great the band can sound.

My favorite songs of the night: America, South Side of the Sky, Revealing Science of God, Heart of the Sunrise (wow, was that amazing!), and the two encores.

Having seen YES eight times in the 70s (one Going For the One Show -- 25 years ago, four shows in 78, three in 79, as well as one DRAMA show, in the 80s, at the Garden), I was prepared to be ... if not slightly disappointed, at least gaurded n my appreciation of the 2002 tour.

Instead, I'm feeling like a pure "fanboy," as the newsgroup likes to call it. I mean, I was THRILLED tonight, really impressed. Chris Squire played just as well tonight, if not better, than he did back in the late 70s. Alan White was terrific, especially during RSOG. Anderson was ON all night, not holding back at all. Wakeman was extremely focused, giving it his best, and probably sounding better and better each night as the tour progresses.

And Howe? I was, shall we say, WORRIED about Howe. How far behind the beat would he play? How tepid would his tone sound? How slow would he reduce some of the classics? Instead, aside from SK (which he obviously used to NAIL back in 79), he was awesome. His tone was dead-on, his pedal steel/delay stuff incredible -- and his guitar work during Yours Is No Disgrace was bold, energetic, fierce -- and LOUD.

Speaking of volume: I had 12th row orchestra seats, dead center -- yet until the encore the sound was actually quiter than hearing the WHO back in the lawn seats. It seemed as if they waited till Squire's solo/fish thing to really turn it up. Awaken's bass pedal bits were finally shaking the shed a bit, and Roundabout/Yours was satisfyingly thunderous.

About those encores: I saw, well, about 7 or 8 Roundabout/ Starship encores back in the 70s, and none of them were as enjoyable as tonight's Roundabout/Yours Is No Disgrace. In fact, tonight was probably the first time I ever REALLY enjoyed hearing Roundabout live (it used to feel IMO so rushed, so overplayed). Tonight (I don't quite know why) it sounded tremendous. Everything from FRAGILE sounded great.

I have no idea if this line-up will survive into next summer -- but I very much hope it does. They still have a hell of a lot of fire left in them. And I would be extremely interested to see if they could compose a new album (and a new tour) without yet another major shakeup, member fallout etc.

The crowd? Older, almost but not entirely bereft of college-age fans. I was suprised, as well, at the turnout: a decent showing, but nothing like the ecstatic wild throng of the WHO two weeks ago. I still remember (very, very well) the days when YES would sell out three nights at The Spectrum in Philly. All the same, the fans that do come out in Philly are happily quite engaged during the show, and sprang to their feet many, many times in sheer gratitude and awe.

Long live YES.

Erick H.:

The set was the same as the previous show. Once thing Chris did during his bass solo that was not listed on last night setlist was Tempus Fugit. The show was outstanding. Probably the best selection of songs I have seen them do and I have seen every tour since Drama. South Side was truley amazing. The question remains is why did we have to wait so long to hear it. Heart of the Sunrise was also amazing. Overall the band looked like they were having a great time. Steve looked particulary animated and rocked the house as usual. Is there a more versatile guitar player out there-I think not.

Steve B:

Best one ever!! Saw them on the Union Tour back in '91, but that didn't even come close to tonight's energetic perfomance from the band. Everything I saw was flawless. The only slight sound problems were at the start, Chris' vocals were about as loud, if not louder than John's, but that problem was corrected quickly. And during YIND, Rick's keyboards could not be heard in the begining. SSOTS was absolutely awesome!!! My highlights were Awaken and Heart of the Sunrise which were absolutely brilliantly performed tonight. Great show and I am glad they busted out alot of their older stuff and gave tribute to the Fragile period. Excellent!!

Announcements

before 'America'

transcribed by: Pete Whipple

Jon Anderson:Woo! Woo! Thank you so much. It's great to be with you evening. Thanks for coming along this evening you people. This beautiful, this wonderful Philadelphia..yeah and, you know..and and this side as well. Okay. You know. We've been traveling around America in cars we decided not to do the airport thing. So we've been seeing more and more of this beautiful country. It is an amazing country. It is a exceptional people. Here's a song from Paul Simon that says it all okay?

before 'In The Presence Of'

transcribed by: Pete Whipple

Jon Anderson:Woo! Thank you so much. Thank you. Okay. We're going to do a song. We..uh recorded this song last year and..uh [???] and..uh the songs about the simple fact, there is an amazing energy that surrounds us and we sorta lock into it now and again and we feel so good and we don't know why. We don't know where it comes from. But we know it makes us feel really good. The song is about locking into it as many times as you can.

before 'We Have Heaven'

transcribed by: Pete Whipple

Jon Anderson:Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We had such a great time yesterday, all those people that came to see us and I gotta tell you. To meet some council people. To meet a judge, regular dude and the mayor and their all great people. Philadelphia, you've got great people taking care of business and..uh it was a great day for us.

before 'South Side Of The Sky'

transcribed by: Pete Whipple

Jon Anderson:This is a song about three guys who got stuck in the mountains. In the Himalayas and they died and went to heaven on the 'South Side Of The Sky'.

before 'Revealing Science Of God, The'

transcribed by: Pete Whipple

Jon Anderson:Woo!

before 'Leaves Of Green'

transcribed by: Pete Whipple

Jon Anderson:Thank you so much. Thank you. It's..uh it's so great to be able to play that piece of music 27 years later I've gotta say and, and of course, of course very simply without you guys, we wouldn't be able to do it so thank you very much. Thank you. Woo! Every night, every night this guy plays amazing stuff. He's a great guitar player and a great guy. Mr. Steve Howe.

after 'Little Galliard, The'

transcribed by: Pete Whipple

Steve Howe:Thank you so much. It's great to be back in Philly thank you..and New Jersey of course. Thank you so much. I hope you enjoyed my..uh excerpt from..uh side 3 of 'Topographic Oceans' and I played 'Little Galliard' the other piece but I won't say much now because we are going to take a short interval of about 10 15 minutes. See you back then. Bye.

before 'Show Me'

transcribed by: Pete Whipple

Jon Anderson:..just messing around, messing around. This is..uh. Thank you so much. We're going to a song. I've been doing some songs in the, in the garage of my studio and..uh I just say..gotta say one thing. Love is everything. Love is not domineering. Love is giving. Love is so powerful. Me and my honey Janey she's here. We walk around every town, city we go to. Today we were walked around Philly. Just amazing just walking around and having a good time. So this is a song for my love. My soul mate. I just..uh sorta wrote it a couple of months ago. I'm still, still writing this song song I hope you enjoy it.

before 'Wakeman Solo'

transcribed by: Pete Whipple

Jon Anderson:Thank you. The original wizard of the keyboards, Mr. Rick Wakeman.

before 'Heart Of The Sunrise'

transcribed by: Pete Whipple

Jon Anderson:Woo! Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Howie whose 81 today. Was it Howie? I hope it was. Is he there? Everybody have a happy birthday as well. Everybody else who had a birthday as well. Happy Birthday to you. 'Heart Of The Sunrise'.

before 'Magnification'

transcribed by: Pete Whipple

Jon Anderson:Chris Squire. Chris Squire. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Days that we speak I believe that you were right, shouldn't chase the demons and the phantoms of the night. Some treat as lovers, some treat as slaves. Love is too powerful. Love is just too powerful for stuff. Here's a song we wrote last year. The title song of our new album. In our record stores, somewhere. Today, tomorrow, who knows. You can get it on Amazon.com. You can get anything on Amazon.com. Woo! 'Magnification'.

before 'Whitefish'

transcribed by: Pete Whipple

Chris Squire:Thank you very much. Uh..that..uh was a song about mammals and here's a song about a fish.